The Land Beneath Us

Starred review from December 23, 2019
Sundin (Through Waters Deep) crafts an unusual love story in the third installment of the Sunrise at Normandy series. In Camp Forrest, Tenn., just before D-Day, Pvt. Clay Paxton trains with the Army Rangers and is driven by a recurring dream of his death on the battlefield. Betrayed by his two half-brothers, who stole his savings, he believes dying in combat could give meaning to his life. He meets and takes a liking to courteous Leah Jones, who works at a nearby orphanage library, is an orphan herself, and was abandoned by her uncaring adoptive family. When Clay saves Leah’s life during an assault, their bond deepens, and they decide to marry before Clay heads to Europe. As Clay fights and Leah convalesces, their relationship strengthens through letters, and they realize God’s plan may not have been what they were expecting. Clay and Leah are the embodiment of courage and fortitude as they find hope in faith, selflessness, and forgiveness. This ruminative, slow-burning romance is Sundin’s best yet.

January 1, 2020
Alone in the world, Leah Jones arrives at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, in June 1943 to work in the Army Training Camp library. She hopes to be able to research her origins and find out the fate of her twin baby sisters. The first person she meets is Private Clay Paxton, who is determined to make it as an Army Ranger. Working late, Leah is raped and would have been murdered if Clay hadn't arrived just in time; he then rescues her from shame with a marriage proposal. Sundin infuses this dramatic historical romance with a strong spiritual component. The parallel and diverging stories of Leah and Clay offer a fascinating look at life during war in the 1940s, while the protagonists, with their strong morals and intrinsic kindness, are appealing and their struggles convincing. This the third book in Sundin's Sunrise at Normandy series and it can stand on its own, but readers will want to discover the stories of Clay's estranged brothers in The Sea before Us (2018) and The Sky above Us (2019).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)